Re-Parging a South-Facing Foundation Wall on a Newer Home in Joppa

Not just an old-house problem

Most of the parging we repair is on older Baltimore-area houses, but this one was built around 2010. The parging on the south side of the foundation had started to come loose. On this house the foundation includes foam insulation, which changes what the parge coat is bonded to and how it moves.

A south-facing wall gets the most sun of any side of the house. Parging there goes through bigger daily swings in temperature than the north side does, heating up in the afternoon and cooling overnight. Over enough seasons that movement can break the bond between the parge and what is behind it, especially where the material underneath is not masonry.

What we did

• Removed the loose and delaminated parging from the identified section by power washing and scraping, until only well-bonded material was left.
• Applied new substrate and bonding agents where needed, so the new coat had something sound to grip.
• Re-parged the section with traditional trowel methods to a uniform finish that matches the rest of the foundation.

Why the prep is most of the job

Parging that fails once will fail again if it is just patched over. If the new coat goes on over chalky or loose material, it bonds to that material, not to the wall, and comes off with it. Power washing finds the weak spots for you: anything that comes off under the washer was going to come off anyway. What stays is what you build on.

Parging is cement-based exterior work, so we do it from March through October only. We scheduled it for mild weather so the new coat could cure properly without freezing or baking.

For more background, read what parging is and whether your home needs it.

Have a similar problem?

Call or text (443) 806-8077 for a written estimate. We will look at the job, explain what is going on and give you a clear price before any work starts.

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